The Traylors were doing business in west Volusia County as Sun Chase Homes and Municipal Properties of Deltona when the alleged crimes occurred, between June 1992 and October 1993, according to Steve Cotter, spokesman for the state attorney's office.

About two dozen victims were involved with total losses estimated at $175,000, Cotter said. The FBI and Department of Housing and Urban Development also are conducting investigations.

The chief allegations involve the Traylors' failure to establish and place money in required house construction escrow accounts. The Traylors would contract to build homes, and then either didn't begin construction or built only ''a shell of a home'' before homeowners defaulted on their loans, Cotter said.

''They would take your money, sign a contract and then not follow through with it,'' said one victim, who asked that her name not be used. ''Every time I called, they would say, 'Don't worry. Everything's fine.' But then nothing happened. We didn't lose as much as some people, but this was to be our first home. Things like this hurt.''

One victim gave the Traylors about $82,000 to build two homes and has a partially completed structure to show for it, said investigator John Bradley of the state attorney's office.

The Traylors were in the Volusia County Branch Jail on Tuesday afternoon facing charges from first- to third-degree felonies. Bail ranged from $10,500 for Perry Traylor to $65,000 for Darrell Traylor.

Darrell Traylor previously owned Centra State Development in Deltona. It went out of business in 1989 with about $800,000 in outstanding claims, Cotter said.